Rotary brush



om. 23, 1923. l

V. A. MILLER ROTARY BRUSH Filed July 5o. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jl l Oct.23, 1923.

v. A. MILLER ROTARY BRUSH Filed. July 50,

1921 3 Sheets-Sheet -2 i w W m c. 23, 392-3 v. A. MILLER.

ROTARY BRUSH Filed July 50. 1921 3 SheetsSheet 3 20 provide aconstruction for a brush of this rasata oa. as, ieee.

' naar VCTOR A. MILLER, OF ST. PAUL, FHNNESOTA.

RQTARY BRUSH.

`application led July 30,

To all whom. t may concern:

Be it known that l, Vieron A, MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Brushes, ofwhich the following is a speciication.

rlhis invention relates to rotary brushes and more particularly to animproved scrubbing and cleaning apparatus of the type which employs arotary brush.

@ne of the objects oit the invention is to provide an a paratus of thischaracter which will utilize a supply of running water for the purposeof supplying the rota-ry motion to the brush element, and also furnishthe necessary water for the cleaning operation.

Another obfject of the invention is to character which will permit theuser to edectivelybrush a surface and thoroughly clear the same withoutsplashing or oversupplying the water to the surface which is beingcleaned.

Another object is to provide a brush of this character which willhaveits mechanism entirely within the control of the operator so thatthe supply of water and the speed of the brush may be governed duringthe operation of the same.

Other objects of the invention will apear upon consideration of thefollowing etail description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure lis a longitudinal horizontal section through the brush constructed inaccordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the rotor,

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the same,

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

Figure 6 is a to plan view of the frame structure for holding the brushmechanism,

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the central distributing sleeve, and

Figure 8 is a cross section through the controlling mechanism.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, the body 1 of the brush isconstructed to form a suitable tra-me being substantiallysemi-cylindrical in formation to permit one, half of the brush elementto be encased within the trame while the other portion 1921. Serial No.488,580.

is exposed as shown to advantage in Fig. 2. The enlargedSemi-cylindrical portion 2 1s integrally connected to an extension 3which is provided with a handle 4 for pei'- mitting convenientmanipulation of the brush. The extension 3 is provided with alongitudinal passage-way 5 which communicates with an enlargement 6 onone sideo-i the brush frame, the enlargement being proa bearing for adistributing sleeve 12 which 'i' is centrally located with respect tothe centery of the iframe.v rlihis distributing vsleeve 12 consists of atubular memberhaving a series of openings or perforations 13 therein andone end of the sleeve is provided with a stud end 14 adapted to beextended through the central opening in the hearing member 7 andequipped with a removable nut 15 so as to hold the distributing sleeve12 in osition. rlhe opposite end of the sleeve is screw threadedlymounted in the opposite side of the frame, and the hollow centralportion o the sleeve communicates with the passage-way 5 as shown to advantage in Fig. 1.

Mounted for rotary movement upon the sleeve is the rotor 16 whichconsists of a series of blades or ins 17 arranged in circumferentiallyspaced relation and having their ends connected to circular end pieces18 which are equipped with diametricall'yA opposite lugs 19. The brushconsists of a brush head to which the bristles are attached, and thisbrush head comprises two end rings 20 between which channel bars 21extend, the channel bars being in circumferentially spaced relation andlocated near the outer peripheries of the end rings 2O so that the bars21 will be in spaced relation from the rotor 16 as shown to advantage inFig. 2. The channel bars 21 have .bristles lodged therein, each channelbar beingpro vided with a series of three clusters of bristles, theclusters being separated by spacing members 22 as shown in Fig'. 1. c

channel bar secures the bristles in position iic longitudinallyextending rod through Yrea/eh ,y

and it will be obvious that any convenient or desirable form offastening the bristles in position may be employed. The end rings 20 areeach provided with diametrically opposite slots adapted to receive thelugs 19 of the circular end piece 18, so that the brush head, the endpiece and rotor 16 are rotated together.

At the diametrically opposite portions of the open side of the frame,the latter'is provided with recesses 23 extending longitudinally of theframe and adapted to receive auxiliary brush members 24 which co-operateto prevent splashing of the water While the brush is in use. Thesebrushes 24 eX- tend tangentially with respect to the brush element sothat when the brush element is in operation the water will be confinedto the space between the auxiliary brushes 24.

A controlling mechanism shown in Fig. 8 is employed to permit theoperator to control the supply of water furnished to the brush. Thesupply pipe 25 which is in communication with the passage-way 5 extendsfor any desired length and has attached thereto a handle member 26 whichis hollow7 as shown in Fig. 8 and which is provided with an angularpartition 27 having a cen-l tral opening 28 normally closed by a springvalve 29. This spring valve is ,controlled by a trigger or finger lever30 pivotally mounted as indicated at 31 and normally held by a spring 32to maintain the valve 28 in closed position. The valve may be opened bypulling the trigger or finger lever 30 toward the handle 26 thus liftingthe valve against the action of the springV 32. When the trigger. isreleased the spring will force the valve28 into closed position and thusshut off the water, the movement of the lever 30 being limited by a stoplug 33 on the end of the'lever as shown in Fig. 8'.' Obviously thismechanism will permit the supply of water to be entirely within thecontrol of the operator and the brush may be operated slowly or atagreater rate of speed according to the desire of the user.

Minor changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claimshereunto appended.

What is claimed is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, aframe provided with a supply passage-way, a central distributing sleevemounted in the frame and having a hollow interior communicating with thepasasgeway, the said sleeve being provided with perforations throughoutits length, a rotary member mounted upon the sleeve and including aplurality of circumferentially spaced blades to receive water passingthrough the openings in the said distributing sleeve and a brush elementrotatably mounted in the frame and connected to the said rotary memberat the ends thereof whereby the said brush element will be rotated whenthe rotary member is rotated.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a frame providedwith a substantially semi-cylindrical body portion and equipped with anextension, a passage-way extending through the extension and leading toone end of the said semicylindrical body portion, a distributing sleevemounted in the body and having one end in communication with thepassageway, a rotary member including longitudinal bladescircumferentially spaced apart and embracing the said distributingsleeve7 the latter being provided with openings to establish a waterpassage between the blades and the interior of the distributing sleevethe .end portions of the rotary member having lugs, a brush headincluding end rings mounted on the rotary member and connected by thesaid lugs `to the rotary member whereby the brush element will rotatewhen the rotary member is operated, the said brush element havingcircumferentially spaced brush members extending throughout its length.

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

VICTOR A. MILLER. Witnesses:

E, C. TcRNQmsT, C. P. S'rEnBs.

